Posted in books

WWW Wednesday!

WWW Wednesday

 

Hey everyone! It’s WWW Wednesday!

To take part all you need to do is answer the following questions:

~What are you currently reading?
~What did you recently finish reading?

~What do you think you’ll read next?

 

33784373What Are You Currently Reading?

I’m currently reading 3 books, yes, I know it’s crazy but I like to shift from one genre to another, lol. Plus I’m too impatient to read just one book at a time…..does that even make sense?? LOL.

Actually, one of the books is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets…I make it a point to reread that series at least once a year.

Hunting Prince Dracula is getting good!! I definitely recommend this series!

5055957. sy475 I’m also reading A Cousin’s Promise by Wanda E. Brustetter.

Synopsis:

When a horrific accident cripples Wayne Lambright, he finds it difficult enough to take care of himself, much less Loraine Miller, his future bride. Will he sacrifice his happiness to give her a better life? Having already been jilted once, Loraine is terrified of yet another rejection. But does she love Wayne enough to marry him, for better or worse? When her old boyfriend Jake Beechy returns from exploring the English world, he hopes Loraine will give him another chance. Will she renew their love or wed Wayne as promised? How will God work to give Loraine the desires of her heart?

What Did You Recently Finish Reading

I had to DNF All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner. The synopsis sounded great but I just could not get into it. The storyline failed to bring me in.  😦 😦

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

I have a few ARCs that I need to get to so I can the review in so it’s probably going to either be The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken or Something Needs to Change by David Platt. Who knows? I’ll probably end up reading both of them simultaneously.

 

Advertisement
Posted in books

TBR Pile

Waiting for Tom Hanks (Waiting for Tom Hanks, #1)My TBR pile on Goodreads is growing every day, lol. I thought I’d share with you a few of the books on my list! I have not read any books by these authors! So who knows? I might find another favorite author through these books!

First up, is Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey.

Annie is twenty-seven years old, single, and obsessed with romantic comedies (she and her mother watched them religiously, before her mom died). Her dating life is limited by the expectations she’s formed from these movies. She is not as open to new experiences as she might be, because she’s waiting for her Tom Hanks–i.e., a guy she’ll find in the perfect, meet-cute romantic comedy way. When Annie does finally meet her perfect match, it’s not quite in the way she expected, and she’s forced to reckon with the walls she’s built around herself over the years.

 

42262526Next up is Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald.

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Delving into Grand Central Terminal’s rich past, Lisa Grunwald crafts a masterful historical novel about a love affair that defies age, class, place, and even time.

35411685Finally, (though I have many, many more, lol) is How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.

Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

So Tom moves back to London, his old home, to become a high school history teacher–the perfect job for someone who has witnessed the city’s history first hand. Better yet, a captivating French teacher at his school seems fascinated by him. But the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.

How to Stop Time is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.

Have you read any of these books? 

What books are on your TBR list?

Let’s talk books!

alexis bledel books GIF

Posted in books

Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

Best book you’ve read so far in 2019 – Definitely Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco! I was not expecting to fall in love with it so fast!

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019 – I’m currently reading the 2nd book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series….and it’s amazing so far!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to – Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald. I mean just READ the synopsis! It sounds amazing!

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Biggest disappointment –  All Manner of Things by Lisa Finkbeiner. I just could not get into it. The storyline just failed to engage me.

Biggest surprise – Nothing as of yet.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you) –  Definitely Kerri Maniscalco. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Newest fictional crush –Thomas Cresswell from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. Love him!

Newest favorite character – Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper. (Can you tell I LOVE this series??? LOL)

Book that made you cry – The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Book that made you happy – all books make me happy! 🙂

Favorite book to film adaptation you’ve seen this year – Haven’t seen any yet.

Favorite review you’ve written this year –  I really don’t have a favorite…

What books do you need to read by the end of this year –  any and all, LOL

There you have it! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and take part in this tag yourself!

reading read GIF

Posted in books

All Manner of Things

All Manner of Things; NOOK Book (eBook); Author - Susie FinkbeinerWell, I typically don’t DNF books very often but every once in a while, it happens. This time it happened with the eARC I was sent called All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner.

The storyline sounded good when I first read about it. And I honestly gave it time, thinking it would pick up as I read on but no…

I just could not get into it. I really tried but the storyline just wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention. It also didn’t help that there were some issues with the eBook–skipped pages, inconsistencies, etc….maybe that’s why I couldn’t get into it.

I’ve added it to my “will finish someday” list. Maybe if I can get a hold of a physical copy, I can give it another try!

According to Goodreads reviews, it averages a 4.86 rating. Reviewers are raving about it. So what’s wrong with me? LOL. I know my opinion of this book won’t be popular but hey, it’s okay! If we all liked and agreed on every single book, life would be pretty boring, eh? Not everyone is going to like a book. Simple as that.

joey bosa video GIF

Have you read this book? What did you think about it?

Let’s talk books!

Posted in books

Series I Can Read Over and Over Again

favorite-series.jpg

Hey y’all!! Today I thought I’d share with you some of my absolute favorite series! These are books I will absolutely NEVER part with and will reread over and over again!

Image result for redemption series karen kingsburyFirst up is Karen Kingsbury’s Redemption series!

I fell in love with this series in college when a friend introduced me to Karen Kingsbury. The series follows the Baxter’s and all the triumph and tragedies that arise in their life.

Here is a little synopsis of the first book, Redemption!

When Kari Baxter Jacobs finds out that her husband is involved in an adulterous relationship and wants a divorce, she decides she will love him and remain faithful to her marriage at all costs.

This book shows how God can redeem seemingly hopeless relationships, and it illustrates one key message: Love is a decision.

I’m super excited because this series is set to become a TV series!


Image result for harry potter seriesNext, we have the Harry Potter series! I have read and reread this series too many times to count!

It’s so easy to get lost in the world of Harry Potter. If you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for?? It’s so much fun to read!

Here’s a little synopsis from the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.


Image result for the hunger games booksThe Hunger Games is such a great read.

This is another series I devoured in several days. I even got my mom hooked on this series.

And it was just announced that Suzanne Collins will be writing a PREQUEL to this series! I can’t wait to read it!

A little synopsis of the first book:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


What are some of your favorite series to read over and over again? 

Let’s talk books!

Posted in books

WWW Wednesday!

WWW Wednesday

Hey everyone! It’s WWW Wednesday!

To take part all you need to do is answer the following questions:

~What are you currently reading?
~What did you recently finish reading?

~What do you think you’ll read next?

What Are You Currently Reading?

Image result for all manner of things by susie finkbeinerAll Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner

I just started reading this so I haven’t gotten very far but it sounds like it’ll be really good!

Synopsis:

When Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.

In Mike’s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike’s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family’s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Image result for the healing jarThe Healing Jar by Wanda E Brunstetter. This was an ARC and it will be released on August 1, 2019. It is book 3 in The Prayer Jar series.

I LOVED this series! I devoured each book in a matter of days! I love Amish fiction.

Synopsis:

What if you have waited to find love only to be rejected when it finally comes?

Lenore Lapp is an Amish schoolteacher in her late twenties still living at home with her parents and grandparents. She thought love had passed her by until she meets Jesse Smucker, a widower with a baby daughter. She quickly falls in love with them both and accepts Jesse’s proposal of marriage, but Jesse breaks off their engagement when he realizes he can’t marry only for convenience.

Resigned to living single, Lenore throws herself into caring for her elders. While working in her grandmother’s garden, she digs up an old jar. Will Lenore find healing for her broken heart and solve long-buried family secrets by reading the note contained inside?

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

The Yellow Lantern: True Colors: Historical Stories of American CrimeThe Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken. This is another ARC that I can’t wait to read!

It comes out on August 1, 2019.

Synopsis:

In 1824, Josephine Clayton is considered dead by everyone in her Massachusetts village—especially the doctor she gas assisted for several months. Yet, she is still very much alive.

After the doctor’s illegal dealing with his body snatcher to obtain her body, Josephine awakens, positioned as the next corpse for his research. To cover up his crime, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. They strike a deal—Josephine will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, she’ll await her true mission—posing as a mourner to help the body snatcher procure her replacement.

At the mill though, Josephine is praised for her medical remedies among the other female workers, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager, Braham Taylor. Yet, when Braham’s own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all.

What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel?

Your turn!

 

 

 

Posted in books

Currently Reading

Books I'm Reading

So I was approved for an ARC of Wanda E. Brunstetter’s new book, The Healing Jar but didn’t realize it was book 3 in a series. So before I read The Healing Jar I definitely need to catch up and Image result for the hope jar wanda brunstetterLUCKILY, my library had the first two so I checked them out yesterday and let me tell you….I’m already almost finished with the first book, The Hope Jar. I started reading last night and just couldn’t put it down!

This is going to be such a good series! I absolutely LOVE Amish fiction! I’ve always been fascinated by their way of life.

Synopsis:

What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day?

Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them.

Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith— but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love?

What book have you read that you just couldn’t put down? 

Let’s talk books!

Posted in Uncategorized

First Line Friday!

First Line.jpg

Welcome to First Line Friday, a weekly feature hosted by Hoarding Books

This is my first ever First Line Friday and I’m excited to participate! But I AM going to break the rules a little bit by including the first 4 lines. (Man, my first ever feature and I’m already breaking the rules! LOL)

Our train gnashed its way along frozen tracks toward the whitecapped fangs of the Carpathian Mountains. From our positionoutside Bucharest, the captial of Romania, the peaks were the color of fading bruises. Judging from the heavy snow falling, they were likely as cold as dead flesh. Quite a charming thought for a blustery morning.

Image result for hunting prince dracula

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper Book #2)

by Kerri Maniscalco

I am not very far into Hunting  Prince Dracula but once again the author has gotten me hooked.

Synopsis:

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.
But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Now it’s your turn!

Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. To see what First Lines others are sharing this week head over to Hoarding Books.

Posted in books

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Image result for stalking jack the ripperI just finished reading Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco yesterday on my break at work! It was so good!

I was intrigued until the very end! The ending totally shocked me. I wasn’t expecting it! Usually I can predict the endings of books but not this one!

I definitely recommend it! It’s set in the 1880s in London in the Whitechapel area during the terror of Jack the Ripper.

I give it 5 stars! I immediately spent the rest of my break buying the second book in the series, Hunting Prince Dracula.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

A #1 New York Times Bestseller! By Kerri Maniscalco Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

Image result for stalking jack the ripper settingThis book was the first in a series. The next book, Hunting Prince Dracula continues the story of Audrey Rose and Thomas (who I came to absolutely LOVE.)

Synopsis:

In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco’s haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

I can’t wait to get started!

What are you currently reading?

Have you read Stalking Jack the Ripper? Let’s talk books!

 

Posted in book tags, books

The Reader Problems Booktag

the-reader-problems-tag.jpg

I found this tag on Sarah Jane’s site, Weaving Fiction and decided to join in on the fun!

You have 20,000 books on your TBR, how do you decide what to read next?

20,000 books, huh? If I have that many books on my TBR you might as well call me certifiably insane!

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?

I don’t DNF too many books. It would have to be pretty bad for me to DNF it.

The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge. Do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

No, I mean as much as the numbers get to me, if I don’t make the challenge I set then it’s okay. Reading slumps happen!

The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?

I cope alright. That doesn’t really bother me.

Everyone and their mother loves a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

Me myself and I!

You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?

Easy. I put the book away.

The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?

Oh definitely. Gotta refresh my memory! (which stinks, by the way!)

You do not want anyone to borrow your books, how do you politely say no when someone asks?

I just politely tell them I don’t loan my books out.

You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?

Slumps are THE WORST! Honestly, I just keep picking up a book until I get hooked on one!

There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?

Well, working in a bookstore has its perks and an AWESOME discount!

After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelf before you read them?

Not too long. I usually start reading one right when I get home!

Thanks for reading friends, If you want to do this, consider yourself tagged! tag me so I can see your answers